garlicky gossip

Garlic Facts & Health Benefits

Garlic – A Wonder Drug

If garlic had been created in the laboratory instead of by nature, it would probably be a high price prescription drug. (Nutrition Reporter, 2005)

“Garlic is one of the richest sources of organic selenium and germanium. Together, garlic’s disclosed and yet undiscovered nutrients combine to make it one of the best nutritional spices in the world.” German Journal of Oncology, April 1989

Garlic has been used for millennia to treat ear infections, cholera and typhus. It also helps lower cholesterol and blood pressure, improves circulation and lowers blood sugar levels. It is one of the most effect antibiotic plants available, acting on bacteria, viruses and parasites, and was used during both world wars to disinfect wounds.

From Curing a cold to easing asthma, garlic is proving to be a drug-free route to health – Jane Clarke – The Times

Reduce the risk of Heart Disease and lowers blood pressure

Laboratory tests by the American Heart Association showed that garlic dramatically reduced the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries.

Cholesterol

Numerous studies in the Europe and US have shown that garlic reduces harmful cholesterol in the blood. In fact a study in New Orleans found that garlic takers benefited from an 11% decrease in the harmful cholesterol after a 12 week period.

MRSA

Studies also suggest that garlic helps to protect against the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, the leading cause of stomach ulcers; that is has a strong repelling action on the superbug MRSA

Garlic as a powerful antioxidant

Garlic Central say that Studies have known that garlic can have a powerful antioxidant effect. Antioxidants help to protect the body against damaging “free radicals”.

Fight the Flu

“On his website, Dr Joe Mercola cites a study in which 146 people were given either garlic supplements or a placebo. Those who took the garlic were 2/3 less likely to come down with a cold. Researchers state that 2 cloves of garlic per day are good for the immune system” (Fight the flu with the natural immunity boosters by Rachel Stockton)

Impotence

YOU are what you eat – April 06 – Garlic with its strong odour, may seem the least romantic of ingredients but one of its many reputed benefits includes an ability to increase the circulation and prevent hardening of the arteries, which can be a frequent cause of impotence in men.

Eat Garlic Everyday To Keep Cancer Away _Eatingwatch.com Oct 09

Several population studies conducted in China centered on garlic consumption and cancer risk. In one study, investigators found that frequent consumption of garlic and various types of onions and chives was associated with reduced risk of esophageal and stomach cancers, with greater risk reductions seen for higher levels of consumption. Similarly, in another study, the consumption of allium vegetables, especially garlic and onions, was linked to a reduced risk of stomach cancer. In a third study, greater intake of allium vegetables (more than 10 g per day vs. less than 2.2 g per day), particularly garlic and scallions, was associated with an approximately 50 percent reduction in prostate cancer risk.
Evidence also suggests that increased garlic consumption may reduce pancreatic cancer risk.

A study conducted in the San Francisco Bay area found that pancreatic cancer risk was 54 percent lower in people who ate larger amounts of garlic compared with those who ate lower amounts.

In addition, a study in France found that increased garlic consumption was associated with a statistically significant reduction in breast cancer risk. After considering total calorie intake and other established risk factors, breast cancer risk was reduced in those consuming greater amounts of fiber, garlic, and onions.

HOW MUCH GARLIC TO TAKE?

How much garlic may be useful for cancer prevention?

1.The National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, does not recommend any dietary supplement for the prevention of cancer, but recognizes garlic as one of several vegetables with potential anticancer properties. Because Furthermore, the active compounds present in garlic may lose their effectiveness with time, handling, and processing.

2. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines for general health promotion for adults is a daily dose of 2 to 5 g of fresh garlic (approximately one clove), 0.4 to 1.2 g of dried garlic powder, 2 to 5 mg of garlic oil, 300 to 1,000 mg of garlic extract, or other formulations that are equal to 2 to 5 mg of allicin.

Anti-fungal

Jack Challem of The Nutrition Reporter notes that raw crushed garlic can combat Candida infections and Athletes Foot. In one study, an aged garlic extract was injected into mice with Candida infections. After a day, the Candida colonies numbered 400 compared with 3500 among the mice only given a salt-water solution. After two days the garlic treated mice were free of Candida.

Pregnancy

Thea Jordan from The Daily Telegraph noted that gynaecologists at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital have found that mothers-to-be who eat garlic boost the birth weight of small babies. They also discovered that it cut the risk of pre-eclampsia.

Raw versus Cooked?

According to research the medicinal properties and benefits of garlic are strongest when it is raw and crushed or very finely chopped.

Cooked prepared garlic is less powerful but still reputedly of benefit to the cardiovascular system

Ideas for using Garlic

According to the Garlic Information Centre ‘one of the most effective ways to get rid of a sore throat is to chew a fresh clove’

According to Jane Clarke, Times Newspapers, the following are some ideas using garlic as a drug –free solution:

Sore Throats, colds and coughs – crush 5/6 cloves, add 6 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and stir, Refrigerate for 24 hours, then warm in the microwave and add a tablespoon of honey and 4 teaspoons of lemon juice. Leave to cool and let 2 teaspoons trickle down your throat.

Mouth Ulcers: dip a freshly peeled garlic clove into natural yoghurt and apply. It will sting but only for a few seconds.

Cold Sores: a tiny drop of garlic juice squeezed on to a cold sore can help to get rid of it

Insect Stings and bites: rub a cut clove on the bite or sting to zap the heat

Facts

During the dark ages, people trusted Garlic to ward off the plague and wore garlands of garlic for protection

Roman soldiers on long marches ate daily to keep them healthy

The Soviet Army relied on garlic juice to prevent wounds turning septic during World Wars 1 & 2, when it earned the nickname Russian Penicillin
Eleanor Roosevelt swallowed three chocolate covered garlic pills each morning to improve her memory.

In the 1950s while working as a missionary in Africa, Dr Albert Schweitzer used it to treat cholera, typhus and amoebic dysentery.

You should plant garlic near roses to enhance their scent

Plant garlic near fruit trees to keep greenfly away

Garlic was entombed with King Tut

The longest string of garlic in the world was 123 feet long with 1600 garlic bulbs

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